


Recruiting Asahi

by Aleanid



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - LGBT Sports, Everyone Is Gay, Fluff, M/M, Slice of Life, Volleyball as a gay support group
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-10
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-17 13:27:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,825
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29967057
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aleanid/pseuds/Aleanid
Summary: One evening after practice, Sawamura and Tanaka overhear a brunet being offered really bad advice about how to be gay.Naturally, they end up recruiting the brunet for their recreational LGBTQ+ volleyball team.-Or: How Asahi joined the Karasuno Crows
Relationships: Azumane Asahi/Nishinoya Yuu, hinted future relationship - Relationship
Comments: 6
Kudos: 30





	Recruiting Asahi

**Author's Note:**

> So here's the thing. It's a bit of a pet peeve of mine when everyone in a fandom gets paired off with each other in slashy pairings, especially when it's set in canon verse. Don't get me wrong! It's not a dealbreaker or anything, and I can still enjoy the story. I do get a little hung up on how it's not too realistic, though. 
> 
> It got me thinking, though, that it would be fun if there was an AU where the spirit of the canon verse - a bunch of guys on volleyball teams - could be preserved but where it would also actually make sense to have everyone pair off. And thus, this college/LGBTQ+ recreational volleyball AU was born in my head. 
> 
> If you guys enjoy this idea, this may well turn into a series of short stories featuring various characters/pairings from across the Haikyuu teams (reimagined as queer recreational college teams). And if there's anything, in particular, you'd be interested in reading, feel free to let me know :) (Though, keep in mind I already have a few set ideas about who would pair off with who ;))
> 
> * * *

Daichi pushes the door open, the familiar din and clatter of the pub overwhelming his senses for a moment before the noise settles to a familiar drone. 

“Time to get our grub on!” comes from behind him as Tanaka pushes past him.

Daichi chuckles at his friend’s enthusiasm and follows as Tanaka forges their way towards the bar.  _ O’Leary’s  _ is as crowded as ever, but that’s not a problem. If they can’t be seated soon enough, they’ll just take their order to go. 

When they reach him, Shane — the bartender on duty (though Daichi is suspicious that ‘Shane’ is probably not this clearly Japanese man’s real name) — informs them that, sure enough, there’s a long wait on getting seated. The two of them are unfazed. They tell Shane they’ll have their usual to go and a pint of beer each while they wait. 

Shane busies himself pouring their drinks before moving away to put their order in. Daichi settles in, leaning against the crowded bar counter and absently watching the volleyball game on TV. He’s not mad about getting his food to go. If anything, it works out well. He and Tanaka have come here straight from volleyball practice and, between their sweatpants and gym bags, he’ll probably be more comfortable eating in his apartment. 

He’s just getting into the game on the screen when Tanaka elbows him, hard, and he turns to see his friend scowling toward a table a little ways off.

“Are you listening to this?” Tanaka growls. “I have half a mind to go teach those fuckers a lesson. Actually no, I  _ am _ going to go teach them a lesson!” 

Tanaka stands up straight and moves toward the table. Instinctively, Daichi grabs his shirt at the neck and pulls him back, only letting go when he’s satisfied his friend will stay put. Then he tunes in to the conversation Tanaka is getting so worked up about. He’s expecting some kind of macho diatribe about how real men like their women — objectifying women while simultaneously placing men inside a tiny horrible box — since that sort of talk is usually what gets Tanaka worked up. What he finds instead is a little unexpected.

“Sorry,” a brunet man is saying. The guy is built and, between his size, his stubble, and his messy, long hair, he looks kind of tough. But there’s also something vulnerable about him. “It’s just, I wanted to watch this game so-”

“Urgh, how many times do we have to tell you,” a smaller man answers, rolling his eyes and basically whining. He’s wearing a violently pink shirt and pants so tight Daichi low-key wonders how he even got them on. “Gay men do  _ not  _ watch football.”

“Sure but this is volleyball-”

“Puh-lease,” the third man interrupts. This guy’s outfit is a little more subtle, but not by much. There’s too much glitter involved for that. “Volleyball, football… Tomato, Tomahto, honey. Point is,  _ we _ don’t watch it.” 

“Um, okay. You guys picked this pub, though?” the brunet says. 

The comment makes Daichi chuckle. The guy has a point. This pub markets itself as a sports bar and, wherever you’re sitting, you have a view of several screens where a variety of games are playing. It’s a weird choice of venue for anyone who objects to watching sports.

“Yes,” the second man says, rolling his eyes and making some elaborate and non-sensical hand gesture. “Obvi because a sports bar is bound to have plenty of straight jocks. It’s the perfect place for your gay training.” 

“Flirting with straight men in their natural habitat is, like, a gay right of passage,” the other man adds. 

“Cap, it’s seriously making me mad,” Tanaka mutters next to him.

“Leave it,” Daichi says shaking his head. 

Honestly? He’s also getting a little irritated at these men. He doesn’t know how the brunet has ended up turning to them for advice but he’s wondering if there’s a good way for him to step in without making a scene. It won’t do to sic Tanaka on them, though. The brunet seems a little skittish and the last thing Daichi wants to do is scare him or make him uncomfortable.

“So here’s what you gotta do,” pink-shirt starts. “We’re going to pick your target, then you go in.” 

“You walk right up to the guy and then you flirt,” sparkles adds. 

“I don’t know about this,” the brunet says. “I don’t see how making a man uncomfortable is going to help me get a date.”

“It’s how you get rid of the fear, hun. Get shot down by a few straight men, then picking up a twink at the club won’t seem so scary.”

“That’s not really my scene,” the guy answers with some distaste. 

“Puh-lease,” says pink-shirt. “It’s every gay’s scene once they’re doing it right.”

“We’ll get you there, sis. Just give it time,” comes from sparkles.

Daichi feels bad for the brunet. He obviously disagrees with them but he seems resigned to letting this play out.

“Ok, so your target is...” pink-shirt starts, then looks around the room. 

Daichi and Tanaka shift so it’s not obvious they’ve been watching. 

“Shouldn’t we try to stop this somehow?” Tanaka says quietly. Daichi appreciates that he’s making an effort to stay calm about this. 

Daichi agrees, though. He’s scrambling to think about how he can intercept the guy and give him an out. 

“Oooh, I’ve got the perfect guy,” they hear sparkles say. “Dark hair at the bar. The one in sweatpants with the beer. Obviously just finished doing something athletic. Obviously straight.” 

Tanaka chuckles. “He’s really got you pegged, eh cap?”

“Shut up,” Daichi says.

This turn of events certainly works in their favour. 

“Hold on,” he hears the brunet complain. “Can’t you pick someone a little less…”

“What? Less good looking?” pink-shirt says. “No girl. Go big or go home. Now go get ‘im.” 

“This’ll be good,” Tanaka says. “Can I go give them a piece of my mind while he comes over here?” 

“Try not to make too big of a scene,” Daichi tells him.

“Score,” Tanaka whoops.

He slips away from the bar as the brunet approaches.

“So, uh,” the brunet starts awkwardly with a hand on his neck.

“I’ll put you out of your misery,” Daichi tells him with a chuckle. “Sawamura Daichi,” he introduces himself, holding out a hand. “Can I buy you a drink?” 

“Asahi Azumane,” the brunet says, shaking the proffered hand. “And yeah… That would be nice. Yes.”

Daichi glances back to the table and the gaudy cocktail the brunet left over there. He’s not one to judge a person’s choice of drink but the thing looks ludicrously sweet and it’s so over the top that he doubts even Tsukishima and his infamous sweet tooth would be caught dead with it.

“Another one of those?” Daichi asks, pointing at the table with his chin.

“God no,” Asahi says so fast it makes Daichi laugh. “Beer is good.” 

“I dunno,” Daichi says, faux-skeptical and already flagging Shane down. “Would your gay gurus approve?” 

“Definitely not,” Asahi answers. “All the more reason.”

“So if you’re not actually interested in their advice, how did you end up here?” Daichi asks once the beer has been ordered.

“One of my coworkers decided I don’t date enough,” he answers as he graciously accepts a pint from Shane. “She thought I needed gay lessons and enlisted one of her cousins.”

“And you went along with it?”

Asahi shrugs. “I thought it might be a good idea to meet a few more gay guys. I didn’t realize there would be so many rules.” 

“You do realize those rules are utter bullshit, right?” Daichi snickers. “There’s not a right way to be gay.” 

“I know that,” Asahi says a little sheepish. “But I don’t know that many other gay people. My friends are always telling me I could stand to stray a little further from my comfort zone, so…” 

“You figured you’d give pink-shirt and sparkles a shot at being your gay support group,” Daichi says with a nod.

“Something like that.” 

Daichi looks at him consideringly for a minute.

“How do you feel about volleyball?” he asks.

“You heard that?” Asahi chuckles a little awkwardly. “It’s not the most fascinating sport, I know, but I used to play in high school.”

“Would you still play if you could?” 

“It would certainly beat spending time in seedy gay clubs,” he says, glancing back toward his companions. They’ve moved further into the bar and they’re getting into it with Tanaka but they’re too far away now to overhear. Asahi has the decency to look a little worried. “He’s not going hurt them, is he?” 

“Nah,” Daichi reassures him. “He’s all bark and no bite. Listen,” Daichi says, bending down to dig through his bag until he finds what he’s looking for. “If you’re interested, we’d be happy to have you,” he says, handing him a pamphlet. 

On it is an impressive picture of Hinata and Kageyama mid-play and the words  _ ‘Recreational Volleyball. Karasuno Crows. LGBTQ+’ _ in stylized lettering at the top.

“You’re on a queer volleyball team?” Asahi asks in surprise. 

“I’m the captain of a queer volleyball team,” Daichi corrects with a smile. “We’ve got some crazy good guys on the team but, I promise, at the end of the day we’re all just there to have fun. In my humble opinion, it's the best kind of gay support group out there,” he adds. 

“Wait, so your friend over there. Is he also…” 

“Gay?” Daichi asks with a laugh. “Oh yeah. And teaching your friends a thing or two about stereotypes.” 

“I wouldn’t exactly call them my friends,” Asahi mutters. “This is…” He flips through the pamphlet quickly. “This is actually really interesting.”

“Our next practice is Tuesday at six,” Daichi says. “Just show up at the address on the pamphlet and we’ll get you sorted. If you’re interested.” 

“Oh hey, are you joining the team?” Tanaka asks, coming back toward them a moment later and spotting the pamphlet.

“I’m thinking about it,” Asahi tells him. 

“No casualties?” Daichi asks Tanaka. 

“Fucking, get this,” Tanaka says, then thrusts a napkin at Daichi. “I’m over there basically yelling at them and then, once I’ve said my piece, pink-shirt gives me his number.”

****

_ Asahi joining the team goes something like this. _

Daichi sets them up in two teams and lets Asahi play outside hitter so they can assess his skill. 

On the first ball Kageyama sets to him, Asahi slams it down right past Nishinoya with so much force the impact resonates through the gym.

“You might want to close your mouth, Noya,” Sugawara claps his teammate on the back. “You’re drooling.” 

“ _ He’ll _ do,” Noya gapes. “Fucking yum.” 

“For fuck’s sake,” Tsukishima mutters as Asahi turns pink and aims a shy look at the libero.

“Down boy,” Daichi scolds Noya with a smile and a shake of his head. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
